


Musical Confessions

by purplecyphers



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Karaoke, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-07-27 20:26:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20052046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplecyphers/pseuds/purplecyphers
Summary: In an alternate universe, the Cat discovered karaoke and forcing the rest to join him eventually leads to some interesting developments. [Based on an idea shared on the Red Dwarf Discord.]





	1. Take One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HungLikeARainbro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HungLikeARainbro/gifts).

After the nanobots rebuilt _ Red Dwarf _ and the black box confirmed their story about the radiation accident, the two who were registered crew were put back to work while Kryten and the Cat were given jobs and registered. Of course, once Cat was able to see what all the bars and pubs and clubs were really about now that there were people to show him, his interest in karaoke became seemingly an addiction. He dragged everyone regularly to the karaoke bar where they would take a room and listen to him sing a few songs at a time and eventually the others got into filling the space while Cat rested his voice. They had fun for the most part. 

After a few months of unsuccessful attempts to get with Kochanski, Lister started using his songs as a means to try talking to her, and one day picked a romantic duet for them both, but before it came up, she slipped out when he wasn’t looking, only noticing when he was on stage and the song was starting. Before he could react, Rimmer was standing beside him, microphone in hand, and on auto-drive, the Scouser began singing. 

_ My love, there's only you in my life  
_ _ The only thing that's bright _

Lister tried not looking beside him as Rimmer began to sing.

_My first love,_  
_ You're every breath that I take_  
_ You're every step I make_

But he could tell the man was looking at him, so he turned slightly and was stunned by the look in those hazel eyes. There was a shine to them he’d never noticed before and all those feelings he’d been keeping hidden for years began to resurface. 

_And I, I want to share_  
_ All my love with you_  
_ No one else will do_  
_ And your eyes, your eyes, your eyes_  
_ They tell me how much you care_  
_ Ooh yes,_  
_ You will always be  
My endless love_

They watched each other closely the rest of the song, Lister eventually giving in and honestly singing with his heart, just as Rimmer was singing to him now and how he expected to with Kochaski, who slipped back in from the lavatory during the song and watched in the same stunned silence as the others to the show. When it was over, the men had gotten closer and, on a whim, Rimmer reached out and cupped Lister’s face with his free hand. That was when he realised: things between them had been changing over the last few weeks. 

“Rimmer?” 

“You’re very easy to fall in love with when you want to be.”


	2. Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rimmer's POV of Take One

It was a lot for Rimmer to take in when he was told there had been a radiation accident, that everyone including himself had died, and that they had all been resurrected by nanobots three million years in the future. It was surreal when Lister explained about the cat people, being their god, how and why the others left this one, and that a hologram of himself had been resurrected to “keep him sane”. It sounded fantastical as they eventually relayed stories from the misadventures had over the last few years and Rimmer felt almost like a dark shadow was cast over him as the Scouser told tales of his digital ghost fondly. It was surprising to later learn that the hologram hadn’t actually died (again) like the others said, but gone off to be a dimension jumping space hero, something he both dreaded and envied. And all of it complicated his already complicated feelings. 

Of course, the way that Lister spoke of the hologram Rimmer, he quickly came to the conclusion they were shagging, even if no one else had known. That wasn’t the strangest thing about it all, but how easily he accepted the notion. How he felt it made complete sense. And it helped that Rimmer felt more accepted by the Scouser, as if he belonged somewhere for the first time in his sorry, miserable life. A dream come true. 

Then the Cat started having them join him for karaoke and as the others sang, it taught Rimmer a whole new way to express himself, although he rarely joined in and only then when dragged onto the stage. In the meantime, Rimmer had become something sort of friendly with Lister and they no longer spent their shift arguing but having interesting discussions or his getting more details about his years in deep space. Their relationship had never been so easygoing! 

Unfortunately for the decade long Love Celibate, Rimmer had inadvertently fallen in love! 

_'Cause you,_   
_You mean the world to me (Oh)_   
_I know I know_   
_ I've found, I've found in you  
My endless love_

Rimmer had gone up to the stage in a rare display of courage, because he couldn’t handle the broken look in Lister’s eyes, and as they sang, as he poured his heart and soul out, he only hoped that his heart wouldn’t be broken in the end. 

“Rimmer?” 

The lilt in that voice sounded confused and yet hopeful, or so he felt, and when he cupped that cherub cheek, he let every defence he’d ever built around himself break down for just a moment. 

“You’re very easy to fall in love with when you want to be.” 

The space between them disappeared as they kissed, and he wondered if this was how the hologram Rimmer felt the first time he’d kissed Lister.


End file.
